By Rob
April 19 2004

If you go into the ticket office at Turf Moor you will find a special bell. To find out why the bell is special please read on.....

Season ticket sales are currently up on the number that was sold at the same stage last season. The discount period ends at the end of April and 1224 people had bought theirs by Saturday.

Chief Executive Dave Edmundson has installed a bell within the ticket office and the bell is rung everytime a season ticket is sold.

The bell is decribed by Edmundson as 'an inspriation to everyone, so that includes supporters and staff....we want season tickets to be something special for the fans, something that can be passed down the generations and people don't want to lose their seat at Burnley.'

The Chief Executive wrote the following piece in his column for the Burnley Express:

The bell is just a standard pinger that you'll have seen many times at various reception desks with a sign attached saying please ring for attention. The thermometer is there as a visual target.

Just what is the temperature of Burnley FC at the moment? Is the bell there to summon help for this ailing patient? Screens nurse get the shock pads we have a flatliner. Well no, this great big football club called Burnley did need some emergency treatment, but thanks to thousands of visitors, supporters and good will, it is coming back to full fitness and the drip of the season ticket sales is having a significant effect.

Figures show that we are ahead in sales at the corresponding time of last year. Nothing fantastic, because last season wasnt a great year in the season ticket sales race. We have a winning line of 8,500, hence the thermometer representing our progress to date. Its not a finishing line, because really 8,500 is only break even, and anything above that is a real bonus.

So why the bell? Well anyone in the ticket office can see the progress towards our target. But we know that the season tickets are being sold all the time and every day during April fans can take advantage of the discount offer. But the bell will ring every time we sell a season ticket, and will hopefully reverberate through the offices here so everyone will know that we are one more step closer to our goal.

Ok, some may think its a bit naff, perhaps over the top. Well fine, but the thing is, its about feeling part of the team. If you hear that bell, you'll know that someone has done his or her bit for Burnley, invested in the Clarets and got the badge of loyalty because this is what the season ticket represents.

We are hoping to establish a club where the decision to buy is not based on results of the team over the last few weeks or even the season. Its not based on a forecast that we will be successful, struggle, or just do ok. Its not based on the possibility that we might challenge for the play-offs, fight for relegation, or just whinge that youre fed up with the club.

We're all in this together, this is your heritage and your future.

Things are on the up for Burnley, off the field at least, with the new shirt sponsorship deal with Hunters now confirmed as well as James Hargreaves renewing their sponsorship of the Longside stand. The local plumbing firm have renewed their deal for a further 5 years for an increased figure.

Dave Edmundson (right) and Anthony Fairclough (Left) with John Clegg of James Hargreaves (centre)